The U.S. House narrowly approved legislation early Friday that rescinds nearly $9.4 billion in funds, including money intended for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the United States Agency for International Development.
The bill now goes to President Donald Trump's desk after it had already been approved in the Senate. He is expected to sign the bill on Friday.
The bill was approved 216-213 in the House.
The potential funding cuts are likely to have a significant impact on rural public radio and television stations that air National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service content.
Paula Kerger, president of PBS, told Scripps News earlier this week that some rural public television stations could close as a result of this bill.
"We'll be working closely to see what we can do. But I really worry very deeply that if these cuts go through, this isn't like a newspaper that goes away and then another newspaper could come back and start up again," she said. "These are television broadcast licenses. And once they're gone, they're gone."
RELATED STORY | PBS president tells Scripps News legislation would cause some rural stations to close
The Trump administration argues that government funding of news media in "this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence." On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the $9 billion was being spent on "crap."
"This is a good thing for the American people and the American taxpayer," she said.
In addition to the $1.07 billion in cuts to the CPB, nearly $8 billion in international aid programs are slated to have their funding pulled. The bill cuts $2.5 billion in international development assistance, $1.65 billion in economic support, $900 million in global health programs, $800 million in migration and refugee assistance, and $496 million in international disaster assistance.
"Everybody that works on our side has promised fiscal responsibility and fiscal discipline and we are delivering on those promises tonight," Speaker Mike Johnson said after the vote.
Johnson said the bill is the first of many rescissions bills that will trim funds from programs already budgeted by the federal government.
RELATED STORY | Study: USAID cuts could lead to 14 million global deaths over the next 5 years
No Democrats voted in favor of the bill in either chamber.
"Gutting bipartisan investments, compromising our national security, hurting America's standards throughout the world is not popular. Losing access to local news, radio, weather is not popular," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said.
